With a budget of Sh2 million, which of these three cars would you go for?

 

Hi JM,

Thanks for the brilliant car reviews that you do. Now, my sister is looking to buy a compact SUV. This will be her first car ever, however she is not sure of which option to go for with a budget of about Sh2 million.

She was fixed on the Subaru Forester but is unsure after being discouraged by a mechanic. Her remaining options are the Mazda CX5 and the Mitsubishi Outander. Please help her choose based on reliability and extra features such as technology and comfort. 

PS: She has been discouraged from the CVT transmission with claims of imminent failure. Is this true? 

Isaac Wanjohi 

Hi Isaac,

I suspect the mechanic discouraged your sister from buying a Forester because he doesn't want to skin his fingers every time the plugs need changing. Replacing the plugs on a flat engine is notoriously difficult since the plugs are horizontal rather than vertical and they are tucked away really low in the car, somewhere near the wheel hubs.

Now, reliability obviously favours the Subaru, as I have said countless times before, more so in this company where the CX5 comes a distant second and the Outlander last. Extra technological features will depend on what exactly she buys, that is why vehicles have what we call "spec levels". A high spec CX5 will obviously be superior to a low spec Outlander and vice versa, though the distinguishing rationale for this kind of thing is to compare which car has which feature as standard.

Subaru Forester SUV

Pool

I would have gone into this but I will not, for a simple reason. There is a high probability that your sister will be buying an import, and its provenance is unbeknownst to me. Is it Japan? UK? Singapore? Or is it one that was sold locally when new?

Different markets have different features offered by the manufacturer as standard, for instance, the American market tends to have many features sold on the car as standard with fewer options in the interests of making the car seem superior to the competition, while markets like the UK have few features as standard with a lot of options to give the buyer that bespoke feeling which is usually placed at a premium way over there.

Mitsubishi Outlander

Pool

Comfort? It has to be the Mazda, simply because it has the most beautiful interior of the lot and the smoothest ride. The other two are almost gruff in comparison.

Mazda CX5

Pool

CVT failure is not as common as one may think, especially if preventative maintenance is observed. This simply means keep the fluid levels and quality in good form and keep an eye on the filters.

I want to replace the face of my Discovery 5 with a Range Rover’s, will it work?

Hi Baraza,

I have a 2018 Discovery 5, but unfortunately, I was recently involved in a slight accident where I got sandwiched buy two cars (Front and back) in one of the construction sites while running errands. My question is, I have been thinking of replacing the two faces with a Range Rover one and I need your expert view on whether this is possible based on the dimensions. I believe it will look awesome on the front but I’m not sure of the back. Just tell me whether it is possible and connect me with a person who can do it.

Warm regards,
Wyclef, Nairobi.

It is possible, and there are people who can do it, but don’t. Just don’t. Trust me. Don’t do it. Nuh-uh, no. Hapana. Leave it. Stick with the Discovery looks and parts.

On a side note, I reviewed this car back when it came out and I remember we were expressly banned from calling it the Discovery 5, we were supposed to call it the “all-new Discovery”, which made sense somewhat back in July 2017 when I tested it - but what about July 2021? I also remember expressly asking this question (what happens five years down the line, or when the next model comes out? Do we still call this car “all-new”?) and I also remember being expressly ignored by the PR people. Well, here we are, four years later. Am I now allowed to call it the Discovery 5 or do I stick to “all-new”?

Land Rover Discovery

Pool

[Full disclosure: the instructions were issued to us in South Africa at a province called Limpopo where we were attacked by elephants, not here in Kenya, and back then the local franchise in charge of the brand was a different entity, not the current dealer. Please don’t go knocking on Inchcape’s door claiming Baraza is asking difficult questions, this question is not meant for them. Also, if you want to read more about that elephant attack, please buy a copy of Issue 2 of MPA Magazine from the Motoring Press Agency website.]

Dear reader, what I write about cars, any car, is factual…

Dear Baraza,

When a reader asked for assistance to choose between Vanguard, CRV, Outlander or Subaru Forester XT, I knew you would mention the Subaru, never mind the criteria he may have requested. Well, you gave the following clearances for those vehicles:

Honda CRV: 6.7 inches

Mazda CX5: 8.5 inches

Mitsubishi Outlander: 8.5 inches

Subaru Forester: 8.7 inches

My Duallis - 11.8 inches

That prompted me to rush to my garage to check the clearance of my beloved Dualis which you once derided as a woman’s car. I measured a clearance of 11.8 inches from the ground. How are you measuring the clearance for the figures you have given?

Keep on writing for us. 
With my kind and most sincere regards.
Anthony N

Anthony,
“Never mind the criteria he may have requested…”, huh? The reader wanted a judgment based on clearance, so I gave him a judgment based on clearance, and guess what? Through no machinations on my part, the Subaru won that challenge. Sometimes facts get in the way of opinion, and whatever underlying dislike folks have for the car will not make its ground clearance any lower.

The ground clearance of a Dualis clocks in at exactly eight inches, which places it above the CRV but below everything else. I don’t know how you are measuring the ground clearance on your end, but ground clearance is simply the distance from the ground to the lowest point of the vehicle, be it the bumper, the sump, the exhaust pipe or the tow hook if so equipped. In a line diagram of a given vehicle, the ground clearance is usually indicated from the ground to the bottom of the door sills, but that’s a denotation, the actual clearance is as described above.

Nissan Dualis

Pool

The women out there will agree with me that men have a tendency to claim possession of more inches than they really have and this right here is a classic example. And speaking of women, yes I said the Dualis is a woman’s car. My son’s mother drives one, along with numerous other women I know. My observation in traffic is if I spot a Dualis, the driver is invariably female. That was not derision against the car, it was a statistical observation on the purchasing demographics of the Nissa Dualis.

I want to improve ground clearance of my Toyota Vitz, which tyre size is suitable?

Hi Baraza

I just acquired a Toyota Vitz 2014. I want to change the tyre size and springs to improve ground clearance. The current tyre size is 175/70 R14. I have been advised between 185/70 and 195/70 by several dealers with both options carrying equal votes. What size is ideal? Your vote will be the tie breaker.

Thanks 
Kiongo

Hi Kiongo,

Well, there is a glaring oversight in the two potential replacements you mention. Your current rim size is 14. Of the larger sizes, what is the rim size? If it is still 14, then you’re fine, more or less. If it is 15, which is more likely since those two aspect ratios tend to be found on 15s, then... no, you’re not going down the correct path. Those tyres will be too big.

They may not fit in the wheel wells of the Vitz, even if they fit, there will be a lot of rubbing, especially when the suspension is compressed, such as when going over bumps or coming out of a pothole, they will rub under load, they will rub at highway speeds and they will definitely rub whenever you turn the steering.

Toyota Vitz

Pool

Speaking of steering, incorrect tyre sizes throw of the geometry leading to unusual response and handling characteristics. While this is easily managed at parking speeds, it’s out there on the open road that you may experience things you will not like.

I’d say go for 185/70/14, if you can find such a tyre. The 195s are not significantly larger but they may be a bit too chunky for the vehicle... again, if you can find such a tyre as a 195/70/14 (I know they exist).

You’re right, the tyres that come with imported cars may not be suitable for our roads...

Ndugu Baraza,

First I will start by pouring glowing tributes to your motoring prowess, secondly, mine is just an observation, most people seem to use the tyres that came fitted with their imported vehicles, especially from Japan. These tyres, most if not all the time, are made with mud and Snow in mind. I learned this the hard way when driving on a wet road surface, they had zero grip which, ended up in disaster. Please do find time to advise your readers on the best tyres to use for which road surfaces.

Thank you.
TK

Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG

Pool

Hello TK,

You are right, many of these cars come with winter tyres fitted. I recall back in the fledgling years of this column, one of the very first cars I reviewed was a Toyota Vista and I distinctly remember observing that it was shod in Yokohama IceGuards, which are Japanese winter tyres. I also remember observing that their performance on tarmac was not as poor as I feared. However! This is not to say that people are at liberty to explore the outer limits of their vehicle’s performance envelope with the wrong footwear. You are also right in that it will end in disaster when grip (or the lack thereof) exceeds talent and then it’s screech, screech, crash, bang, smash, tinkle, thump, glass, metal, plastic, lives, wives, tears, bills and condolences.

Take care, everyone. I’ll do the tyre article very soon. Cheerio    BY DAILY NATION